Archery on a budget: Geologic Initech 2 review

Recurve archery or archery as a whole is often tagged as a sport for the rich. This is due to the hefty price tag that comes when purchasing equipment, particularly the bow. Hoyt, Wiawis, WNS are brands that dominate the market and the high quality they bring also comes at a premium price.

That is where Geologic hit the sweet spot - the price. With the connotation that archery is a wealthy man's game, the Initech 2 comes in at 3,400php (67$) which is a thousand pesos lower than the entry-level bows from competitors.

The question now is if it performs well enough to trump the beginner recurve bow forerunners. Let's find out.

What's in the box?

When you open the case of the Initech 2, you will be greeted by the riser, a pair of limbs, bow stringer and a small plastic pouch containing two arrow rests, two brass nocking points and the manual. All the essentials needed for barebow shooting are inside the compact case. The case also serves as the stand and arrow compartment during the shoot.
The inclusion of the stringer and the other extras is already a win because other companies usually sell those separately.

Design and Durability

The Initech 2 is Geologic's entry-level bow and don't expect much at this price point. Both the limbs and the riser is made of Polybutylene Terephthalate which is a type of polyester. Well, that's a mouthful. It basically means plastic. Do not be discouraged by the material though because it can still handle regular use as other bows would. Just don't drop it at a height higher than three feet or you may compromise the plastic material.

The design itself is very basic. It has holes on the top and bottom to reduce weight and to prevent the cross presence wind drag. Though I think it would have benefited if it was a little lighter to make it more usable for longer hours of shooting. The flash lines of the molding are also visible all around the bow. The flash line at the grip makes it a little bit uncomfortable when gripping the bow. I added an Artengo Badminton grip to make it more comfortable.

For the limbs, you need extra care for the 28lbs version and remove the string every after use. This is to prevent the limbs from twisting due to the higher poundage. I think the plastic materials wear and tear might be quicker if limbs are stretched even if not in use.

Initech 2 is not International Limb Fitting (ILF) compatible and this reduces upgrade options due to Geologic selling the product as a set. Because it is plastic, I doubt that it is compatible with limbs made out of different materials.

For advanced users, bushings for a clicker, plunger button, sight, and a stabilizer is included in the bow. Compared to other entry-level bows, seeing the slots for those accessories is a relief. Beginner bows usually include just the sight and stabilizer mount.

Actual use and issues encountered

I've been using the Initech 2 for more than a year now as a for recreation and I even competed with it. Right now I can say that for its price, it is not that bad. I've been using the bow with Geologic Discovery 300 spine 800 28" arrows and the combo is fine for short distances.

The 18lbs bow I have shot well at short distances but definitely lacks the power when it comes to medium distance shooting. I can say that around 10-15meters would be its sweet spot despite the brand saying that it can be used up to 30meters. Yes, it will work at that distance but you will feel that it lacks the power to propel the arrow properly.

When shooting, I can feel the grip is too thin for my preference. When pulling the bow, it pushed on a small surface on my palm and minimal movement makes it unstable. It would have been nice if the grip gets a little bit wider to make it more comfortable.

One problem that I noticed is the arrow fletch scratches the riser due to the thinness of the arrow rest. You may check the photos and notice the coloration on the riser. It is a small thing that affects the flight of the arrow. Installing a plunger button to move the arrow a little bit further away from the riser helps with this.

By the way, mine came with Hoyt arrow rests while other Initech 2s come with Geologic arrow rest - which has issues with its adhesive not sticking properly. The Hoyt rest has been on my bow since the beginning and I haven't had any issues with it getting removed that easily. According to some users of the Geologic arrow rests, it gets worn out easily and the tips get damaged quickly compared to other arrow rests. Arrow rests are cheap at Decathlon though so I do not find this as a deal-breaker.

Another issue is the string serving. Right now I'm using the bow with my own 18 strands fast flight string. The string that came with the bow is advertised as fast flight and it is clearly not. The nocking point is made of brass which scratches my leather finger tab when in use. Because of those string issues, I prefer using my own string and save the Geologic string as a reserve.

However, if you don't have an extra string. I found a quick fix for the serving at the top and bottom of the string. You just have to get a sharp cutter and scrape some of the plastic flash lines on the part where the string sits on the limbs. If you do not have a cutter, fine-grit sandpaper will do.

Verdict

Despite its flaws and drawbacks, it is very difficult to find a bow of this quality at this price point. That is where the Initech 2 shines. It provides you all you need at a fraction of the price from other brands. Another thing worth noting when considering this bow is the two-year warranty that comes with it and I think that's a huge bonus in terms of equipment safety.

So if you are looking for an affordable bow to try archery or if you are looking for a training bow then the Initech 2 should be on your watchlist. It's budget-friendly with all the accessories you need to start shooting. But for advanced archers, the Initech 2 is not the one for you and you are better of looking for wooden recurve risers or go straight to the ILF path.

Photos below